National Pollinator Week

This week is National Pollinator Week, and Center for Food Safety (CFS) is busy as a bee. Bees and other pollinators play a critical role in our food supply: one in every three bites of food we eat depends on a crop pollinated by honey bees.

Unless Big Ag changes its ways, soon we’ll see a devastating domino effect in our ability to produce food. Without pollinators like bees and butterflies, 80% of flowering plants would be unable to reproduce or provide food.

That’s why CFS is engaged in an epic court battle to hold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accountable for its failure to protect pollinators from bee-toxic pesticides. Not surprisingly, major players in the chemical industry, including Syngenta, Bayer, and Valent U.S.A., have joined the case to argue for the continued use of these dangerous chemicals—turning this into a David vs. Goliath battle in the courtroom.

Beyond the courtroom, we’re also raising awareness about the decline of pollinators on Capitol Hill where we’re making sure our lawmakers understand what’s at stake. CFS provided legal and scientific expertise for the Saving America’s Pollinators Act and every day we’re garnering additional support for this landmark piece of legislation. And just a few short months ago we delivered over half a million signatures to EPA demanding they take action to protect pollinators.

Vast expansions of monocultures like corn and soy are seriously threatening the health and continued existence of our pollinators. This is only worsened by the exponential use of toxic pesticides that are building up in our environment and poisoning their habitat.

This is what we’re up against. But regardless of whether it’s in the courtroom or the halls of Congress, we’re doubling down. From now until June 30th, you can too.